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Faith & Learning Scholars Program

The Center for Faith and Learning hosts dialogue gatherings at which Student Scholars and Faculty Mentors

  • promote critical inquiry of faith, the intellect and one's life journey through open dialogue in a supportive community
  • discuss what it means to be engaged in a search for truth and the intellectual life
  • explore ways to balance contemplation and activity
  • consider one’s current and future potential for service to community and society as a whole.
Student Scholars and Faculty Mentors attend 4 Dinner Dialogues per academic year. During each dinner, participants discuss provided texts and how it relates to one's faith journey and the community.

These are the readings Scholars and Mentors discuss during the dinners:

2023-2024 Academic Year

2022-2023 Academic Year

2021-2022 Academic Year


2020–2021 Academic Year

2019–2020 Academic Year

  • Fall 2019—"Seeking the Place of Conscience in Higher Education: An Augustinian View" by Ian Clausen (edited version of Religions, 2015, 6, 286-298)

  • Late Fall 2019—"Babette's Feast" by Isak Dinesen
    Leading Questions for Babette's Feast
  • Winter 2020—"Glad Intellectual Dependence on God: A Theistic Account of Intellectual Humility" by Peter C. Hill, Kent Dunnington, and M. Elizabeth Lewis Hall. (The Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 2018, 37, No 3, Pages 195-204.
    Leading Questions for "Glad Intellectual Dependence on God"
  • Spring 2020—"Why Work?" by Dorothy Sayers
    Leading Questions  

2018–2019 Academic Year

  • Fall 2018—"Exiles from Eden: Religion and the Academic Vocation in America" by Mark R. Schwehn (Ch. 3 - Spirited Inquiry)
    -  Leading Discussion Question for evening

  • Late Fall 2018—"A Good Man Is Hard To Find" by Flannery O'Connor
    — Audio of Flannery O'Connor reading "A Good Man Is Hard To Find"
    —Leading Questions

  • Winter 2018-2019—"The Screwtape Letters: Letters I, II, XXV, XXVII" by C.S. Lewis 
    Leading Questions for Screwtape Letters

  • Spring 2019—"Letter to an Aspiring Intellectual: Outlines of the Life of the Mind" by Paul J. Griffiths; First Things: May 2018

    Leading Questions for "Letter to an Aspiring Intellectual"

2017–2018 Academic Year

  • Spring—"Character and Vocation" by Douglas and Rhoda Jacobsen (Ch. 10 - No Longer Invisible: Religion in University Education)
  • Winter—"Why Believe?" by John Cottingham  (Ch. 1 - Belief & its Benefits)
  • Late Fall—"Habits of the Mind: Intellectual Life as a Christian Calling" by James W. Sire  (Ch. VII - The Intellectual Disciplines)
  • Fall—"What a Student Owes His Teacher" by James V. Schall, SJ  and "Convictions" by Douglas and Rhoda Jacobsen (Ch. 9 - No Longer Invisible: Religion in University Education)

2016-2017 Academic Year

  • Spring 2017—"Courage & Calling: Embracing Your God-given Potential" by Gordon Smith
  • Winter 2017—"Augustine and Liberal Education" by Kim Pattenroth and Kevin Hughes (editors)
  • Late Fall—"Faith and the Life of the Intellect" by Curtis Hancock and Brendan Sweetman
  • Fall—"St. Augustine: Continuum Library of Educational Thought" by Ryan Topping

St. Augustine V Community

  • Ryan Allen
  • Amelia Arrieta
  • Benny Caiola
  • Isabella Carlin
  • Nick Cobuzzi
  • Will Coughlin
  • Brendan Daly
  • Dominica Delayo
  • Tino DiMurro
  • Kerry Dolan
  • Maggie Dreifuerst
  • Kaitlin Gibson
  • Julia Harris
  • Liam Higgins
  • Hannah Kalamarides
  • Earl Kelly
  • Sarah Kelly
  • Ethan Khan
  • Caleb Kim
  • Katie Lewis
  • Emmaline Lombardo
  • Erin Lynch
  • Megan Maloney
  • Charlotte McClelland
  • Theo Musilli
  • Matthew Nawn
  • Nelle Opoku
  • Maria Procaccini
  • Maialen Richard
  • Aidan Rickwa
  • Sasha Shanker
  • Vincent Vandiver
  • Dimitri Vassiliou
  • Katherine Young

St. Monica IV Community

  • Callen Bartlett
  • Madeline Bens
  • Michael Blandino
  • Hannah Cohen
  • Luca Covino
  • Robert Cuff
  • Sadia DeCastro
  • Joseph DeMarco
  • Megan Dettloff
  • Natalie Didomenico
  • Ryan Dougherty
  • Daniella Gangi
  • Peter Keepman
  • Nicholas Kennedy
  • Chelsea Le
  • Caitlin MacVarish
  • Ethan Maharas
  • Grace Manion
  • Jennifer McMahon
  • Madeleine McMaster
  • Julia Messina
  • Alicia Morgan
  • Amelia Morning
  • Mackenzie O'Bryan
  • Lily Panunto
  • Reagan Penn
  • Anna Preston
  • Kaya Robinson
  • Nicholas Wiggenhorn

St Thomas of Villanova IV Community

  • Michael Blake
  • Brooke Bosse
  • Nicole Brower
  • Quinn Burns
  • Kelani Chandler
  • Emme Chandler
  • Mia Clingham
  • Rosslyn Cueva
  • Jack Doolin
  • Rechelle Febrer
  • Elisabeth Ford
  • Kerru Giambruno
  • John Hare
  • Loghan Hirkey
  • Kathryn Ix
  • Edward Hahn
  • Ava Kaiser
  • Peter Kowenhoven
  • Maddix Landahl
  • Chris Lee
  • Isabel Lima
  • Jenna Magas
  • Madison Matella
  • Peggy Murray
  • Pierce Muncey
  • Andrew Nguyen-Lepczyk
  • Ashleigh Reen
  • Caroline Regan
  • Samantha Schornstein
  • Giancarlo Secchiano
  • Colleen Stroud
  • Christian Tsai
  • Katie Tuberosa
  • Julia Vicario
  • Gia Walker
  • Glory Wells
  • Eric Yablonski

St. Augustine V Community

  • Gabriele Bauer (VITAL)
  • Heather Brom (Nursing)
  • Christopher Brown (Physics)
  • Francis Burns (Public Admin)
  • Sherry Burrell (Nursing)
  • John Cacchione (Theology/Rel Studies)
  • Paul Camacho (ACS)
  • Ian Clausen (Humanities)
  • Fr. David Cregan (Theatre)
  • Chris Daly (ACS)
  • Gail Furman (Nursing)
  • Lowell Gustafson (Poli Sci)
  • Brisa Hurlocker (Chemistry)
  • Evie Lengetti (Nursing)
  • Stephanie Linkmeyer (Chemistry)
  • Bette Mariani (Nursing)
  • Jessica Myers (Chemistry)
  • Sarah Reed (Economics)
  • Bernard Scianna, OSA (Student Support)
  • Patrice Soares (Learning Specialist)
  • Helena Tomko (Humanities)
  • David Tomlinson (Philosophy)
  • Mat Verghese (OMM Liturgy)
  • Carey Walsh (Theology/Rel Studies)

St. Monica IV Community

  • Mary Ann Cantrell (Nursing)
  • Fr. Francis Caponi, OSA (Honors Program/Theology)
  • Allison Covey (Ethics)
  • Aimee Eggler (Chemistry)
  • Ken Fleischer (Theology)
  • Gregory Grimes (Theology)
  • Lowell Gustafson (Political Science)
  • Keith Henderson (Geology & the Environment)
  • William Horne (ACS
  • Kevin Hughes (Theology)
  • Helen Lafferty (Education/Counseling)
  • Jeanne Liedtka (Marketing & Law)
  • Jean Lutes (English)
  • James Mendez (Nursing)
  • Manuel Nunez (Management/Operations)
  • Mary Ellen O'Donnell (Theology)
  • Rena Potok (ACS, English)
  • Megan Povelones (Biology)
  • Theresa Rissell (Economics)
  • Ann Scheve (Nursing)
  • Troy Shirangi (Biology)
  • Gina Talley (History)
  • Thomas Umile (Chemistry)
  • Ward Utter (Management/Operations)
  • Juanita Weaver (Communications)
  • Carol Weingarten (Nursing)
  • Teresa Wojcik (Education/Counseling)

St Thomas Villanova IV

  • Angelina Arcamone (Nursing)
  • Rishtee Batra (Marketing/Business Law)
  • Ellen Bonds (English)
  • Craig Carpenter (ACS)
  • John Cunicelli  (Romance Languages)
  • Noel Dolan  (ACS)
  • Audra Goodnight  (Ethics)
  • Thomas Griffin  (Finance/Real Estate)
  • Jaisy Joseph  (Theology)
  • Michelle Kelly  (Nursing)
  • Deborah King  (Nursing)
  • Adam Kuczynski  (Public Administration)
  • Yuanzhi (Lily) Li  (Finance/Real Estate)
  • Stephen Liedtka (Accountancy)
  • Cathy Lovecchio (Nursing)
  • Susan Meyers (Nursing)
  • Stephen Napier (Philosophy)
  • Tracy Oliver (Nursing)
  • Betty Patch (CLAS/ACS)
  • Jennifer Palenchar (Chemistry)
  • Tia Pratt (Sociology)
  • Jim Reaves (Church Management/VSB)
  • Louise Russo (Biology)
  • Dana Saxon (Physics)
  • Julia Sheetz (Theology)
  • Daniel J. Smith (Nursing)
  • Monika Sywak (Finance/Real Estate)
  • Cathy Toner (Marketing/Business Law)
  • Hector Varela Rios (Theology)
  • Stephanie Wong (Theology)
  • Jonathan Yates (Theology)

 

How have the readings helped you?

  • "The readings helped me to delve deeper into issues of faith and reason that I had not previously thought about."
  • "The readings are a great jumping off point for discussing how faith is involved in my everyday life.  The most helpful part of the program is realizing how there is always room for faith in the day to day happenings of life."
  • "The readings help provide insight on topics that are hard to bring up and harder to force yourself to think about. They also help make a starting point for a conversation during dinner."

What is your favorite part of being a Scholar?

  • "Getting a chance to discuss faith with people from all different backgrounds."
  • "Intergenerational and interreligious dialogue with other members of the Villanova community - a real conversation over good food.

How has being a scholar in the Faith and Learning Scholars community helped you?

  • "Being a scholars in the Faith and Learning Scholars community has given me the ability to develop relationships with faculty mentors as well as other students who are interested in discussing matters of faith and reason."

How has the Scholar and Mentor relationship helped you?

  • "My mentor helped show me how these discussions will remain important in the years beyond graduation and how to keep them a part of my life."
  • "My mentor has allowed me to gain an understanding of how you can definitely live a principled life regardless of occupation. Honestly, my mentor has been an immense inspiration as a woman committed to her faith and job. Faith is something that appears ever present to her regardless of how busy or overwhelmed she may become."
 
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2019 Senior Scholars were recognized at the program's final dinner-dialogue of the year on April 2, 2019. Congratulations to our Graduates and many thanks to our Faculty Mentors who have completed their 3 year service to our program.
Center for Faith and Learning  Logo

Beth Hassel, Director
Corr Hall 4
(610) 519-4088

Complete the Student Scholar Application for the CF&L Scholar program. This program will begin Fall 2024 academic year. Please contact Beth Hassel with questions. All applications must be complete no later than Friday, February 16 at 11:59pm. Faculty Mentor Applications for the CF&L Scholar program are now being accepted.